Bridal Veil Mushroom (Phallus indusiatus)

Bridal Veil Mushroom taken at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

Photo Credits: Amelia Lim

Scientific name: Phallus indusiatus
Common names: Bridal Veil Mushroom, bamboo fungus, bamboo pith, long net stinkhorn, crinoline stinkhorn or veiled lady

The Bridal Veil Mushroom belongs to the family Phallaceae, or more commonly known as Stinkhorns. The fungus can be identified by its iconic delicate lacy "skirt", or indusium, which hangs from beneath its cap. Doesn't it resemble a bride's veil? Stinkhorn fungus usually produce a putrid rotting smell that attract flies and other insects to help disperse its spores contained in the greenish-brownish slime on the cap.

Jade Web soup with Bamboo pith

Dumplings wrapped in Bamboo pith

Bamboo Pith sold in markets

When cultivated and cleansed properly, the Bridal Veil Mushroom is considered edible, and is featured in many Chinese cuisines, where it is stir-fried or added into chicken soups. Don't be surprised if you see them in Asian markets, as they are also commercially grown and sold as cooking ingredients. The mushroom is known to be rich in protein, carbohydrates and dietary fibre, and contains many bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properities. It has also been used in Chinese medicine.

WARNING: ALTHOUGH IT IS CLASSIFIED AS EDIBLE, FUNGI MAY ABSORB TOXINS AND POLLUTION FROM THE ENVIRONMENT OR RESEMBLE CLOSELY TO POISONOUS SPECIES , AND THUS SHOULD NOT TO BE EATEN UNLESS 100% SURE IT IS SAFE.

The Bridal Veil Mushroom is distributed in many places throughout the tropics beyond Asia. It usually grows on Wood where it breaks it down to return the nutrients back to the environment.